Vietnam Christians under pressure

Christians in Vietnam are increasingly being charged for alleged involvement with separatist groups, with 119 arrested in the Central Highlands during the first half of 2026.

Authorities accuse some of those arrested of being involved with the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO) and De Ga Protestantism, characterised by the state as illegitimate Protestant practices in support of ethnic minority self-determination in the mountainous region.

The government regards such factions as national security threats, even though this categorisation “is not matched on the ground” today; historic rebellious FULRO activity largely ended in the late 1970s following periods of national instability, as revealed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Lead Advocate and Researcher for Vietnam, known by the pseudonym David for security reasons.